Automatic fowl feeding device



July 2l, 1,953 l R. K. vlRGlL 2,646i023 AUTOMATIC FOWL FEEDING DEVICE July 21, 1953 R. K. VIRGII. 2,646,023

' AUTOMATIC F OWL FEEDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 18. 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 K "Y, INVENToR. Efe/14H20, K. l//Ee/z..

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`Iuly 21, 1953 R. K. vmGn. A 2,646,023

AUTOMATIC FowL yFEEDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 18, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 P/G. i

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INVENTOR.

Wm www@ Patented July 21, 1953 UNTEI)v STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC FoWL FEEDING DEVICE Richard K. Virgil, Granger, Ind. t Application December 18, 1948, Serial No. 66,060

This invention relates to improvements in fowl feeding devices, and more particularly to adevice for use by poultrymen who feed fowls, such as chickens, to secure the fastest possible growth of the fowl and thus prepare the fowl for sale as broilers The feeding of large flocks of broilers is laborious and requires almost constant attention. Thus feed must be available to the fowl at all times, and the feed materialmust be clean and sanitary to avoid disease. A number of individual feed troughs sufficient for access of all fowls of the flock thereto must be provided in the poultry house, and all troughs must be kept full at al1 times. Thefeed materiaL such as whole or ground grain, is heavy, and the carrying anddepositing vthereof in the vindividual troughs is laborious and time-consuming. Furthermore, the work is confining because of the regularity with which it must be performed.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a mechanical feeder which may be operated to keep a large number of feed trough filled and which is so constructed that danger of contamination of the feed material is avoided.

A further object is to provide a device `having a central feed storage chamber with which one or more conveyors are connected and each conveyor in turn delivers feed material to a number of feed troughs.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is built in sections to be readily portable, and which is adapted for arrangement in any of a large number of combinations to meet conditions existing in poultry vhouses of different sizes, shapes andconstructions.

9 claims.. (c1. 112;;52)

A further'object'is `to provide a novel con- I veyor unit for feed material.

A further object is to provide a conveyor for feed material wherein an elongated tube houses a rotatable member for advancing feedmaterial therein, 4and wherein the tube is supported above one or more delivery troughs and has one or.

more narrow elongated delivery passages at its lower portion registering with each trough for deliveryof the feed material to the troughs.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating one arrangement of the device.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation taken generally on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig.I 2.y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

'Fig.'5 is a lfragmentary perspective detail view of a part of the device;

Fig. 6 isa fragmentary side view of a modified embodiment of the invention with parts shown in section.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1,-'1 of Fig. 6. e

Fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a modied embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, and particularly to Figs. l and 2, the numeral Ill designates the outline of a poultry house within which are postioneda large number of feeding troughs I2, the same being adequate to feed the number of fowl which are confined within the house.

My invention contemplates the location within the housing I0, preferably at a central' point thereof and in a room separate from the room or rooms within which the fowl are housed, of a large feed hopper I4. The hopper I4 may be of any selected size and preferably'will be large enough to contain at least one days supply of feed for the fowl within the house I0. The lower or discharge end of this hopper I4 has connected rtherewith va plurality of elongated conveyors designated generally by the numeral I6. The conveyors I6 extend generally in substantially parallel spaced relation lengthwise of the house, and each individual feed trough I2 is located below a conveyor, said feed `troughs preferably being longitudinally aligned in rows. The feed troughs I2 are preferably of elongated construction and are shallow compared to their width, the cross-sectional,configuration thereof illustrated in Fig. 3 being quite common. In the Fig. 3 construction, the trough .has a base panel I8,outwardly and upwardly diverging side panels 20, and inwardly upwardly converging side panels 22. The trough is preferably supported upon one or more sets of legs-24 so that the height of the open top portion thereof is such that a chicken or other fowl standing upon the floor may feed from the Vopen top portion of the trough. The troughs constitute individual units and each thereof has end walls 26 closing the ends thereof. It will be understood that .any suitable or conventional form of trough may be used in conjunction with my device to be filled thereby.

The conveyors I6 are preferably formed of a plurality of sections in which lthe sectionsy which are juxtaposed to and positioned above the feed troughs I2,` constitute elongated tubular members 28 preferably of va length greater than the lengths of the troughs I2. Each end of each tube "section xedly mounts a transverse enlarged plate 3l] having an opening'r therethrough in register with the bore of the tube 2B. The tube portions 28 preferably constitute sheet metal members bent to arcuate cross-sectional form with their `adjacent edges spaced apart to define a discharge `slot 32 therein at the lowermost portion of the tube. Each of the tube sections 28 is supported by two or more longitudinally spaced supports having upright leg portions 34 spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the feed trough I2 and of a height greater than said feed trough, said leg portions being connected by a transverse rigid part 36 whose central portionV is curved arcuately at 38 to form a cradle upon which the tube 28 rests and to which said tuber may be secured, as by soldering, riveting or the like. The connection of each tube section 28 with the support part 38 and with the end plates 30, to which it is also preferably welded, soldered or otherwise secured, serves to hold thetube 28 in its desired transverse shape. The iiange plate 38 projects laterally from the tube and is preferably of vertically elongated form as shown. The conveyor housing unit is made up of a, plurality of these sections which are secured together by bolts or other suitable securing members 48 and held accurately in register longitudinally. Each section of the conveyor is rigid, and is rigidly supported in substantially horizontal position elevated above loor level, and, if desired, the troughs I2 may be suspended therefrom by brackets passing around the tube I8.

The plates 30 preferably mount means extending therebetween to prevent the fowl from roosting on the tube 28. One means for this purpose has been illustrated and entails the formation in each plate 30 of an aperture positioned in spaced relation above the tube 23. Sleeves 42 mounted in said apertures serve as bearings for the cylindrical end portions 44 of an elongated rotatable rigid member 4,6. `The members 46 rotate freely in the sleeves 42 and are preferably provided with a plurality of radially projecting longitudinal anges 48. The members 46 are so constructed that a fowl cannot perch thereon and maintain its balance. In other Words, perching of the fowl upon the member, unless exactly balancing its weight, causes rotation of the members 46 so that the fowl falls from the member 46 When it attempts to perch thereon. Inasmuch as the members 28 are preferably of greater length than the feed troughs into which the feed material is to bel discharged, and the slots 32 extend forthe full length of said' tube sections in the form illustrated andvdescribed, it is necessary to restrict the length of the feed discharging openings to a dimension substantially equal to the length of the feed troughs. For this purpose a plate 50 of selected-length and of a Width greater than the width of the feed slot 32 is mounted upon eachtube section 28at each end thereof. The plates 50 are preferably of arcuate cross-sectional shape with the curvature of their inner surfaces substantially coinciding with the curvature of the outer surface of the member 28 so that said plates will t snugly against the lower portion of the member 28 to span the slot 32, as best shown in Fig. 5. Any suitable means for anchoring these plates 50 to the member 28 may be employed, there being shown in Fig. ring members 52 which encircle the member 28 and the plate 58 to hold the latter in proper relation to the member 28. By selecting plates 50 of proper length, it will be apparent that the discharge of feed material from the tube member 28 may `be limited so that all feed discharged therefrom will enter the feed trough I2 therebelow, and none of the feed will be discharged upon the floor of the poultry house betweenV the aligned individual feed troughs. It will be understood that the plates 50 may be omitted if the tube 28 is of the type which is circumferentially continuous except for openings cut therein, in which event the slots 32 may be cut to any length desired.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs.

3, 4 and 5, each of the tubular members 28 receives therein a worm screw member 54 of a length corresponding with the length of the conr Veyor section. The diameter of the feed screw member 54 is preferably less than the inner diameter of the conveyor tube 28 into which it ts, and the screwpreferably rests upon the bottom portion vof vthe tube member'28. One end of each screw member 54 has a socket 56 formed therein in the nature of a transverse slot, and the other endof each screw member has a longitudinally projecting tongue 58 which is adapted to seat in the socket 56 of the adjacent member. In this manner the screw members 54 may be interconnected for conjoint rotation.

vThe motive power for rotation of the feed screws constitutes one or more prime movers 60, such as electric motors, mounted upon a base 62 upon which the feed hopper I4 is supported. The drive shaft 64 of said prime mover may mount a gear or pinion 66 forming one gear of a train of gears by means of which the rotation of the prime mover is transmitted to the feed-advancing means, as by direct connection with the worm 54, or through drive-transmitting means connected to actuate said worms 54. In the arrangement shown, the drive of the central conveyor shown in Fig. l may be directly through gears which mesh with gears mounted on a worm shaft housed within the casing portion 68 communicating with the hopper and forming the innermost section of the conveyor I6. The conveyors shown at the top and bottom in Fig. 1 include curved substantially S-shaped portions 'I8 which connect the lower discharge end of the hopper I4 with their respective dispensing conveyor sections formed as illustrated in Fig. 5. The parts 'I0 of these conveyors preferably constitute continuous and unbroken fiexible tubes through which iiexible material-advancing shafts or Worms (not shown) extend, said iiexible shafts having a suitable driving connection with the gear train and a drive connection with the Worms 54 in the outer or dispensing portions of the conveyor as previously described. The flexible conduits 'I0 will, of course, 'be provided with suitable means to secure one end thereofto the hopper I4 in material-receiving relation and to secure its opposite end to the plate 30 of the innermost conveyor section 28.

The provision of inner iiexible tube and shaft sections 'I0 in some or all of the conveyors I6 permits the delivery of feed from a single feed hopper to a large number of discharge points or feeding stations located at a plurality of spaced points throughout the building. In the form shown in Fig. 1, the use of the flexible sections I0 permits the spacing of the outer ends of the conveyors at a greater distance than the dimension of the discharge end of the hopper I4. It will be apparent, however, that other arrangements can also be accommodated by the use of the flexible member. Thus it is quite common for poultry houses to be constructed with multiple floors or stories, and in such cases the use T-shape or of X-shape. In other words, a great degreeof ilexibilityfof usage and adaptability of the system is afforded by the provision of the flexible sections 18 in the various conveyors connected with the hopper Ill. A single system can be arranged in any poultry house by proper assembly and combination of the parts to t the installation and the shape and construction of the poultry house. As Will be seen in Figs. l and 2, each of Vthe conveyor units E6 extending from the hopper has a terminal end, such as the terminal end 12, at which a closure plate is mounted upon the outer end of the outermost tube section 28 to prevent the discharge of feed from that end.

In the operation of the device, assuming the proper relation of the feeding troughs l2 with respect to the ,dischargev slots of the conveyor ytubes 28, andassuming thatl the hopper vIll is filled with feed material, actuation of the` prime mover 58 will initiate the delivery of the feed material to fill the troughs l2. The worms 54 are rotated to propel the feed material longitudinally in the conveyor tubes, and the feed material falls through the slots 32 into the troughs. Discharge of the feed material through each discharge slot 32 continues until the level of the material, as indicated by the broken line 'M in Fig. 3, reaches and contacts the bottom of the conveyor tube 28. This occurs progressively along the length of each slot, thus closing off each slot 32 progressively. Continued operation of thedevice entails a progressive filling of the troughs, that is, when one trough has been filled toan extent that the entire length of its sociated slot 32 is closed off by the feed material therein, the feed material is propelled to the next section of the conveyor, and the operation continues until all of the feed troughs l2 associ- ,ated with a given conveyor have been lled. The

delivery of the feed material to the troughs is thus accomplished quickly, expeditiously and by power-actuated means, reducing the; amount of labor entailed to a very small amount.

The operator can cause the actuation of the prime mover to continue for the time required to fill all of the feed troughs as determined by observation. Alternatively, a conventional automatic controlmay be provided. Thus, the end of one of the troughs, such as the vouter end of the outermost trough to be fed by one conveyor, may have a control mounted thereon of the character illustrated in Fig. 4. A bracket 'E6 is mounted upon theouter end Wall 26 of the outer trough and has pivoted thereto on a transverse horizontal axis a unit including a paddle or plate TS positioned within the trough l2, and an arm 80positioned externally of the end wall 2B. The arml! mounts an electric contact 82 and is so positioned that in the normal relation of the unit 'the paddle 'i8 and the arm 80 assume the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4. A bracket 84 is fixedly mounted upon the trough end Wall 26 and carries an electric contact 86 which is adapted to be engaged by the contact 82 in thek position illustrated in full lines. The contacts 82 and 88 constitute terminals in an discharge of feed material into the outer end of theouter trough and against paddle 'I8 overbalancesand tilts the paddle 'I8 tothe dottedline position shown in Fig. 4. This movementcauses the contact 82 to swing clear of the contact 86, thus automatically opening the circuit .to the motor or prime mover when rthe outermost trough l2 has been filled. It will be understood that this control arrangement is optional and that it is cited as illustrative of an automatic control responsive to the levelV of the feed within the trough l2. Any other control found suitable and responsive to the same condition may be used. Alternatively, a conventional control may be employed Vwhich operates on a predetermined time cycle under control of a time switchfin a manner providing for operation of the conveyor for a predetermined period of Vtime at certain predetermined time intervals, for example, a time control which will operate one minute Vout of every thirty minutes.

One of the characteristics ofV this device vis that the feed material supplied thereby, particularly if of a free-flowing or whole grain type,

. is available for automatic replenishing of the electrical circuit including the'lead wires and closing of the circuit to the motor 60 .atl the feeding troughs even while the device is inoperative. In other words, as the fowl feed from the trough and reduce the level of the feed therein to expose a part of the slot 32 in the conveyor tube 28, the feed within that conveyor tube may fall through the slot by gravity to replenish the trough and maintain the level of the feed in the trough. in other words, the device has somewhat of a fountain action even when the worm 54 or its equivalent is inoperative, and provides a storage space directly above each trough which insures that all troughswill be replenished automatically as long as feed material remains in the portions of the tubes 28 registering with the exposed delivery slot 32.

An important feature of the device is that the conveyor tube 28 may be positioned above the trough l2 so that the space between the same and the upper edges of the trough is limited to an extent only sufficient for a fowl to place its head between the tube 28 and the edge of the trough for the purpose of feeding. The limitation of the clearance space insures against the possibilityof a fowl perching upon the edge of the trough. Similarly, a fowl cannot perch upon the tube 28 because of the positioning of the roost-preventing means, such as the rotatable member 46, mounted thereabove. These conditions insure the maintenance of a clean condition of the food at all times.

The use of a rigid helical feed screw or worm 54 made in sections as described above may be dispensed with and alternative means for propelling feed material through the conveyors may be utilized. One such alternative means is illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 and constitutes 2, coiled wire member 92 of a length to extend for the full length of the entire conveyor unit or assembly I6. The wire coil is of a diameter less than the `inner diameter of the tubularpart of the conveyor, such as the member 28 or the flexible part 'HLand is sufficiently flexible to conform to the longitudinal shape of the conveyor tubular casing. The relative diameters of the tube 28 and coil 92 may vary with conditions, but the coil will preferably be of a diameter at least one-half the diameter of the tube in order to avoid kinking of the coil. One end portion 94 of the coil member 92 may pass thr'ough a transverse open- -ng in a shaft 96 having a driving connection with the motor or other prime mover 60. The coil 92 rests upon the bottom of the housing, and the propulsion and discharge of the granular feed material occurs in the same manner as described above. The use of the member 92 reduces the cost of the device and the weight thereof. It doesnot, however, detract from or eliminate the advantages of a sectional construction. Thus vthe tabular case parts 2B and 79 may be used as mentioned above, the same being slid over the outer end of the member 92 after the same has been connected at 99 in proper driving relation. One requirement, however, in such cases is that the member 92 must be selected of a length desired for the particular run of the conveyor in which it is fed unless splicing means (not shown) are provided, which will serve to connect sections of the member 92 in the manner well understood in the art.

, The use of the coil 92 as the feed propulsion element of a conveyor increases the flexibility of the device. Thus the conveyor runs need not be aligned as illustrated, but may assume sinuous paths, particularly if flexible tubular sections, such as the tube 70, are interposed between the rigid tube units 23 which are associated with each of the troughs. A further possibility is to arrange each conveyor in the form of a loop, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 8. A looped arrangement would be particularly valuable in conjunction with a system having a time responsive or periodically operable control whose functioning was indirectly responsive to the trough filling function. In other words, conditions might occur from time to time in which the amount of feed required to fill the troughs would be less than the feed capacity of the device operating through the time interval for which the device was set. A terminal overflow discharge could be provided at adjacent to the terminal delivery portion of the conveyor, as at a point adjacent to the feed hopper, to receive the excess of the feed material propelled by the conveyor under such circumstances. Such an arrangement would avoid the danger of damage to the conveyor resulting from continued operation and resultant packing of the feed material in the conveyor tube as might occur in a filled closed end conveyor system.

While the preferred embodiment of the inven- Vtion has been illustrated and described herein, it

will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1. A feeding device adapted to discharge feed 'from a hopper to a trough open at its top and comprising a tubular unit adapted to be connected to said hopper and including a portion positioned above said trough, and an elongated power driven member rotatable in said tubular member for advancing granular material through said tubular member, said tubular unit constituting a plurality of sections, means connecting said sections end to end and means supporting each section, at least one section having a longitudinal elongated slot in the bottom of the portion thereof positioned above the trough, said supporting means positioning the bottom of the slotted tubular section substantially at the level of the edge of the top of the trough whereby the granulevel engages said tube to close said slot.

2. A feeding device as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one section is slotted throughout its length, and means detachably secured to said section and spanning said slot for a part of its length.

3. A feeding device as defined in claim 1, wherein said supporting means constitutes an arch adapted to extend over and around said trough.

4. A feeding device as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubular sections include a pair of longitudinally spaced end parts projecting upwardly therefrom and defining partof said connecting means, and a rigid elongated longitudinally ribbed member journaled at its opposite ends in said projecting parts above each section.

5. A feeding device as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of said tubular member and the portion of said elongated power driven member received therein are both flexible.

6. A feeding device as defined in claim 1, wherein said advancing means includes a plurality of rigid feed worms, each confined in a tube section, said feed worms having interfitting tongues and grooves at their ends for transmission of rotation from one to another thereof and an end wall spanning the outer end of said tubular unit and maintaining said feed worms in rotation-transmitting relation.

7. A feeding device as defined in claim 1, an electric motor for driving said advancing member, and a control circuit including a switch responsive to the level of granular material in said trough for controlling said motor.

8. A feeding device adapted to ll a plurality of elongated feed troughs open at their tops and arranged in spaced relation from a hopper, comprising an elongated tube formed from a plurality of releasably connected sections and adapted to be connected to the discharge portion of said hopper, means supporting said tube above the level of said troughs with each portion of the tube adjacent a trough extending parallel to, adjacent to the level of the top of and centrally of the trough therebelow, and a power driven helical member rotatable in said tube and substantially coextensive with the length of said tube, selected tube sections having a longitudinally elongated slot in the bottom thereof, and closure means detachably carried by selected slotted tube sections to span the portion of the slot spaced laterally from a trough.

9. A feeding device as defined in claim 1, wherein each tubular section located above a trough has an upwardly projecting part at each end thereof cooperating with and defining part of said connecting means, and an elongated antiroost member is journaled by and extends between said upwardly projecting end parts and above said tube.

RICHARD K. VIRGIL.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 351,014 Wissler Oct. 19, 1886 377,821 Wissler Feb. 14, 1888 820,829 Stauch May 15, 1906 1,375,961 Hart Apr. 26, 1921 1,783,092 Lewis Nov. 25, 1930 1,813,519 Varusky July 7, 1931 1,896,096 Parker Feb. 7, 1933 2,081,947 McCornack June 1, 1937 2,243,896 Cupples June 3, 1941 2,563,321 Dugan Aug. 7, 1951 

